Dogs

Fine art. Puppies. Never the twain shall meet, right? Wrong, says the American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog, a St. Louis County museum which allows socialized dogs to stroll beside fine works of dog-themed art.

The museum was originally located in New York, but the American Kennel Club thought the museum would call more foot traffic in the Midwest than it would on the East Coast, and so St. Louis became all the more pet-friendly in the 1980s.

Here at St. Louis on the Air, we love our pets, we really do. Yet sometimes, oh yes, sometimes, their behavior is absolutely confounding. Why do you hate the mailman so, Fido? Why won’t you go to the bathroom in the litter box, Jingles? Why won’t you let me hug my boyfriend, Buck? There are so many questions.

Luckily, Dr. Debra Horwitz, DVM, sees these kinds of issues all the time. A veterinary behaviorist with Veterinary Behavior Consultations, she assures us there are ways you can get to the bottom and help pets get over their peccadillos.

After Michael Vick was convicted for involvement in a long-running illegal dog-fighting ring, more than 50 pit bulls were left behind. What happened to them? A St. Louis International Film Festival documentary, “The Champions,” answers just that question. It also delves into the discrimination pit bulls face as a breed across the United States…sometimes for unfounded reasons.

What makes a hero? Author Jennifer Holland has tracked down the stories of 37 animals “doing something special that’s helping someone or another animal” for her book “Unlikely Heroes.”

In the book, Holland, a contributing writer for National Geographic, shares true stories of animals that saved lives, from dogs to dolphins to llamas. Some of those lives are humans. Some are the animal’s young. Some are of an entirely different species.

That’s where Furry Friends Recovery can help. The St. Louis nonprofit connects therapy pet teams with mental health facilities, support groups and individuals who need help. While there are many therapy animals, Furry Friends co-founders Marion Endress and Tricia Hogan both have dogs. Dogs are sensitive to moods and emotions, Hogan said.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: Last week the Pride St. Louis board of directors made what may have been its most controversial policy decision to date: No pets, except for service animals, at the June 29-30 event. The familiar site of dogs sporting rainbow bandanas will be missing from this summer’s St. Louis PrideFest.

A new city animal shelter on the north side, a full-time veterinarian and vet techs to staff it, and more animal control officers are all on the wish list for the city of St. Louis in the second phase of its new animal control strategy.

This week, the City's Animal Control Officers will begin issuing tickets for fines from $100 to $500 for those who violate city animal laws and ordinances. The City will also enforce animal abuse violations, including illegal chaining and dogfighting.